Learning Space 1 Juniors

Hello and welcome from the LS1 juniors. We are all so excited for the children to start back. We have been very busy getting the space organised and making sure it is extra special for your arrival back to school.

Tamara is counting down her sleeps each night as she can’t wait to get teaching again after the lovely break. Tamara loved watching cricket and talking about all things sport.

Mavis and Imasha cannot wipe the smiles off their faces with the return to school on the horizon. Imasha loved her trip to Sri Lanka with family and Mavis had a beautiful getaway to Lakes Entrance.

Keely and Aoife had lots of fun on the holidays catching up with friends and enjoying the lovely weather.

We are all looking forward to a fantastic 2025 working as a new team full of enthusiasm, happiness and encouragement.

Imasha, Mavis, Aoife and Tamara

LS1 Junior Teaching Team

Learning Space 1 Seniors

LS1 Seniors have been deeply engaged in exploring our whole school expectations. Students explored one of our values, this being RESPECT. We discussed what it means, how it looks in our daily lives, and why it is an essential value in our school community.

As part of this experience, students worked collaboratively to design and create posters that explained what respect looks like in different areas of the school. Their posters showcased thoughtful messages, bright illustrations and inspiring reminders about listening to others, supporting one another where we can and treating others with kindness.

To deepen their understanding, students came together for a shared prayer encounter, reflecting on their experiences. This was a beautiful opportunity to connect their learning with their faith, reinforcing the importance of building a strong, caring and inclusive school community.

Amanda, Kevin, Tanya

LS1 Senior Teaching Team

Learning Space 2 Seniors

Students in LS2 have had a wonderful first week of school and we have loved seeing them all buzzing about their holidays and how excited they are to be back. We have been engaging in a variety of exciting activities to build connections and set the tone for the year ahead. They've enjoyed getting to know each other through games and fun activities, while also learning about the life and teachings of St. Francis de Sales.

As part of developing a sense of community, students have been writing prayers and discussing the importance of responsibility. Their creativity has flourished through artwork, which will be shared as part of a collaborative whole-school project. It's been a week full of learning, creativity, and team spirit!

We are so excited for the year ahead.

Melody, Amy, Claire, Grace + Rita

LS2 Senior Teaching Team

Senior Sports

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Summer Interschool Sports will begin in Week 8 and continue in Term 2. Grade 5 and 6 students will be participating in one of the following sports, Soccer, Netball, AFL (9’s), Volleystars and T-Ball. Six games and a Lightning Premiership against local schools have been scheduled. The schools we are playing, dates and locations for these events are as follows:

Friday March 21st, Kilberry Primary School - Away Game.
Friday March 28th, Lynbrook Primary School - Away Game.
Friday May 2nd, Lyndhurst Primary School - Home Game.
Friday May 16th, Rivergum Primary School - Home Game.
Friday May 23rd, St Kevins Primary School - Home Game.
Friday June 6th, Coral Park Primary School - Away Game.
Tuesday June 17th, Winter Lightning Premiership

Venues for each sport are as follows for Lightning Premiership:

Soccer - Livingston Reserve
AFL 9’s - Livingston Reserve
Netball - Casey Stadium
Volleystars - Casey Stadium
Teeball - Casey Fields- Oval 3 (behind the Athletics Track)

For away matches and the Lightning Premiership students will travel to and from the venue via chartered bus with staff members attending. For home matches, some teams could be playing across the road at Banjo Paterson Oval.

Matches will run from approximately 9:30 am until 10:30 am. For away matches will leave school at approximately 9 am and return for 1st lunch. Lightning Premiership will run from approximately 10 am until 2.30 pm. For this day students will leave school at approximately 9 am and return by 3 pm.

Students will need to wear their sports uniform which can be either shorts and bring their water bottle. For Lightning Premiership students will need to also bring their snack and lunch. On the days we are not playing Interschool Sport, the students will be involved in training..

Please provide consent for these events via the OPEROO and ensure your child’s profile is up to date.

Lulli Barbakos

Physical Education Teacher

EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Welcome back to Term 1, 2025! We have lots of exciting extra curricular activities organised this term for both Juniors and Seniors.

SENIORS

SIMPLY YOUR BEST

Today as part of the Swell Program the Seniors had a program called Simply Your Best run by Ali the NRL Game Development Officer. The students were engaged and had a great time with Ali. We would like to say than you to Ali for giving up his time to come and speak to our students. We have some student reflections about the program:

WHAT DOES BEING YOUR BEST MEAN?

When Ali from NRL came to our school to talk to us about ‘Simply Your Best’ which he said is not about being the best or doing the best, it means being your best. Ali also said being your best can be in everyday life like helping a friend, it does not only have to be in sport. To be your best you need to do your best and give 100%.

Evangeline

SIMPLY YOUR BEST

What is Simply Your Best about? Simply Your Best is about trying your hardest whilst still having fun at the same time. Ali explained it isn’t about being the biggest or the strongest, it’s about being a supportive team mate on and off the field. He also said he’d rather a champion team than a team full of champions, which means it’s better to support not only yourself but your team as well. My favourite thing about the session was when we were doing Teacher Time because it got our teachers involved.

Zoe

Ali and his team will be back in Term 2 to run free Rugby Clinics for each Home Group and also League Stars which is a 6 week program that will be run after school on a Wednesday. More information will be provided

closer to the date.

HOCKEY CLINICS

The Hockey Victoria Roadshow will once again visit us later this term in Week 4, to provide free hockey clinics to our Gr 3/4 students. We are very grateful for this opportunity and hope that some students may find that hockey is the sport they would like to take up as an after school activity.

Further information will be provided to parents via Operoo as we get closer.

NETBALL CLINICS

Casey Netball will be providing free netball clinics for our Grade 3/4 students in Week 9 while the Grade 5/6 students participate in Interschool Sports. We hope the Grade 3/4 students enjoy the clinics and some might even discover that this is a sport they might want to take up out of school hours.

Further information will be provided to parents via Operoo as we get closer.

GRADE 6 BIKE EDUCATION

In Week 4 our Grade 6s will begin their 2nd level of Bike Education: Pathways. They will begin on the school grounds recapping the skills learnt last year. For the remainder of the sessions they will be using the skills they have learnt, riding on pathways in the community. Further information will be provided via Operoo for parents.

We will also be looking for some parent helpers to ride with the students once they begin the pathways program. To assist you must have a current Working with Children Check registered with the school office. If you are able to ride a bike and assist between 11.35-1.30 on the following days: Friday February 28th, Friday March 14th, Friday March 15th and Friday March 21st, please contact me at gfaiola@sfslynbrook.catholic.edu.au Your assistance would be greatly appreciated.

DIVISIONAL SWIMMING

Divisional Swimming will take place on in Week 7 on Tuesday March 11th. We did not have the District Swimming Competition this year to determine students that would qualify for Divisional Swimming but luckily Casey Race was able to identify possible candidates for us last year during swimming lessons. These students will be nominated to the District with their swimming times and if they are the fastest out of the District nominations, they will attend Divisional Swimming.

JUNIOR SPORTS

SPORTING SCHOOLS CLINICS

We are excited to let you know that we have received Sporting Schools Funding once again for Term 1. We have organised Athletics through DS Sports. Clinics will begin in Week 6 and further information will be sent to parents via Operoo as we get closer.

WHOLE SCHOOL SPORTING EVENTS

AFL CLINICS

We would like to thank Tyler, The Participation Coordinator for South Eastern AFL for once again organising free AFL Clinics for us. The Operoo notification has already been sent out with details about when your child’s home group will have their clinic.

Tyler has also organised a FREE after school Come and Play Girls AFL Clinic on

Wednesday 12th March. Further details can be found in the Operoo notification already sent out. If you would like your daughter to take advantage of this fantastic opportunity please scan the QR code on the flyer below and register your daughter. There is no cost for the clinic and Tyler will also come out during lunchtimes on Monday 24th February to run lunchtime activities for Junior girls during 1st lunch and senior girls during 2nd lunch to try out AFL before the after school session.

SFS TWILIGHT SPORTS

Please save the date!!

In Week 6 on Thursday March 6th between 5.30 pm – 8.00 pm we will hold our annual twilight sports. Students will sit in their Houses, competing in a running and novelty race as well as cheering. At the end of the night we will announce the winning House for the sporting events and the winning House for cheering, as well as the winner of the Grade 6 Gift.

SFS CROSS COUNTRY

On the last day of term, which will be Friday April 4th, the whole school will be involved in our traditional Cross Country which will be held at school. We will be looking for the winning House as well as the winners for each level in the Juniors and age group in the Seniors. We will also be identifying the Senior students who will qualify to attend District Cross Country in Term 2.

Please save the date so you can come and support your child. We will also be asking for parent assistance on the day. Remember to assist, you must have a current Working with Children Check registered with the school office.

Giuliana

Sports Coordinator

gfaiola@sfslynbrook.catholic.edu.au

Community News